International

Clutches

New York got its first real taste of spring weather over the weekend, and while the city basket in warmth, you could almost hear the rustle of tulle liberated from closets and the clack of pearls pulled out of jewelry boxes.

If you’re not a Twitter fiend or an emoji junkie, then move right along. If, like me, you need to check your phone constantly, lest you fall apart from the crushing sense that you’re probably missing something super important, the Edie Parker Hashtag and Emoji Clutches that just hit Moda Operandi are speaking you language, both literally and figuratively.

For everyone still experiencing the cold weather that this winter has offered, I feel you. Spring has officially landed, but the temperatures have apparently yet to get the memo. Vlad and I are down in Florida for a few weeks to thaw out, and I hope to send the warm weather to my friends still experiencing what feels like a brutally long winter.

Luggage is ugly, almost without exception. I’ve spent two days of the last week traipsing through four separate airports on six distinct occasions, so I’ve had a lot of time to stare at people’s suitcases, and they don’t vary a whole lot.

I totally, unrepentantly love Edie Parker clutches. It’s important that you know that going forward, because if you’ve generally felt the same way in the past, you’re about to fall head over heels for the Edie Parker Fall 2014 collection that’s currently up for pre-order at Moda Operandi.

Often when I find myself confused by (or scared of) a Charlotte Olympia clutch, it’s because the piece feels like it embraces the brand’s signature irreverence and literalness at the expense of the type of luxury that should always be present at Charlotte Olympia’s price point.

Just like the rest of Hedi Slimane’s runway collections, Saint Laurent’s runway bags tend to inspire both irritation and buying frenzies in fashion watchers. The man has a unique talent for creating strong opinions and for moving product, and the Saint Laurent Studded Minaudiere is the latest bag from the brand that is likely to do both.

Considering how many eyes, animal and faces we’ve seen on handbags over the last six months, looking at a New Arrivals page and finding a handbag that’s actually staring back at you isn’t all that jarring. The beady little eyes on the Charlotte Olympia Gummi Bear Clutch, however, were a little bit more than I was prepared to see outside the confines of a horror move about handbags that become animate and kill their owners.

Stella McCartney is a designer who’s beloved by fashion people, but I don’t always quite understand her appeal. Her knits are incredible, but she’s a fan of the sort of boxy, difficult proportions that are all but unwearable unless you’re as leggy as Karlie Kloss.

We might as well go ahead and dub Charlotte Olympia the Queen of the Hyper-Literal Handbag, because I doubt anyone’s going to take her spot anytime soon. She’s done everything from golden-age Hollywood to flakey French baked goods, and now she’s here with a fresh crop of Christmas clutches.